Multi-stage compression and component removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020122084-A1
Application number	US-201816164461-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Oct 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas compression system includes a system inlet to receive a gas stream containing a first component and a second component, a vapor system outlet to discharge the gas stream, and a plurality of compression stages coupled in series between the system inlet and the vapor system outlet. Each of the plurality of compression stages includes a compressor, a condenser coupled to the compressor, and a gravity-independent phase separator coupled to the condenser. The compressor is configured to receive the gas stream from either the system inlet or another of the plurality of compression stages and compress the gas stream. The condenser is configured to condense the second component from the gas stream. The gravity-independent phase separator is configured to remove the second component from the gas stream and discharge the gas stream to either the system outlet or another of the plurality of compression stages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas compression system, comprising:
a system inlet configured to receive a gas stream containing a first component and a second component; a vapor system outlet configured to discharge the gas stream; and a plurality of compression stages coupled in series between the system inlet and the vapor system outlet, wherein each of the plurality of compression stages comprises:
a compressor configured to receive the gas stream from either the system inlet or another of the plurality of compression stages and compress the gas stream;
a condenser coupled to the compressor, the condenser configured to condense the second component from the gas stream; and
a gravity-independent phase separator coupled to the condenser, the gravity-independent phase separator configured to remove the second component from the gas stream and discharge the gas stream to either the vapor system outlet or another of the plurality of compression stages.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gravity-independent phase separator of each of the plurality of compression stages comprises at least one of a static phase separator, a capillary phase separator, an inertial phase separator, a vortex phase separator, a membrane phase separator, a centrifugal phase separator, or a rotary phase separator.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the gravity-independent phase separator comprises a rotary phase separator, and wherein the rotary phase separator for each compression stage is driven by a common axle.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the compressor and the gravity-independent phase separator for each compression stage is driven by the common axle.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid system outlet configured to discharge the second component removed from each phase separator.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gravity-independent phase separator of each of the plurality of compression stages is coupled to a liquid discharge line and configured to discharge the second component from the gas stream to the liquid discharge line, and wherein each of the plurality of compression stages further comprises a pump coupled to the liquid discharge line, the pump configured to discharge the second component from the liquid discharge line.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the condenser and the gravity-independent phase separator are integrated into a single unit.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor for each compression stage is driven by a common axle.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the condenser comprises one or more cooling jackets thermally coupled to at least one of the compressor and the gravity-independent phase separator.

10 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a system inlet of a gas compression system, a gas stream containing a first component and a second component; compressing, by a plurality of compression stages of the gas compression system, the gas stream; and discharging, by a vapor system outlet of the gas compression system, the gas stream, wherein the compression stages of the plurality of compression stages are coupled in series between the system inlet and the vapor system outlet, and wherein each of the plurality of compression stages comprises:
compressing, by a compressor, the gas stream;
condensing, by a condenser coupled to the condenser, the second component from the gas stream;
removing, by a gravity-independent phase separator coupled to the condenser, the second component from the gas stream; and
discharging, by the gravity-independent phase separator, the gas stream.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of compressions stages of the gas compression system compresses the gas stream in at least one of a microgravity environment, a partial or low gravity environment, a high gravity environment, or a turbulent environment.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the gravity-independent phase separator comprises at least one of a static phase separator, a capillary phase separator, an inertial phase separator, a vortex phase separator, a membrane phase separator, a centrifugal phase separator, or a rotary phase separator.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the gas compression system receives the gas stream at a pressure less than approximately 100 torr and discharges the gas stream at a pressure less than approximately 10,000 torr.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first component comprises one of carbon dioxide and methane and the second component comprises water.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second component comprises water, and wherein the gas stream discharged by the gas compression system comprises a water concentration less than approximately 10 wt. %.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second component comprises water, and wherein a ratio of a water concentration of the gas stream received by the gas compression system to a water concentration of the gas stream discharged by the gas compression system is greater than approximately 10 .

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first component comprises carbon dioxide and the second component comprises water, and wherein the method further comprises reacting the carbon dioxide with hydrogen gas to form methane.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising compressing, by a second plurality of compression stages of the gas compression system, the methane in a methane stream, wherein each of the plurality of compression stages comprises:
compressing, by a compressor, the methane stream; condensing, by a condenser coupled to the condenser, water from the methane stream; removing, by a gravity-independent phase separator coupled to the condenser, the water from the methane stream; and discharging, by the gravity-independent phase separator, the methane stream.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:
control a plurality of compression stages of a gas compression system to compress a gas stream comprising a first component and a second component and remove the second component from the gas stream, wherein the compression stages of the plurality of compression stages are coupled in series between a system inlet configured to receive the gas stream and a vapor system outlet configured to discharge the gas stream, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to, for each of the plurality of compression stages:
cause a compressor to compress the gas stream;
cause a condenser to condense water from the gas stream; and
cause a gravity-independent phase separator to remove the water from the gas stream and discharge the gas stream.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein each phase separator is coupled to a liquid discharge line and configured to discharge the water from the gas stream to the liquid discharge line, wherein each of the plurality of compression stages further comprises a pump coupled to the liquid discharge line, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to, for each of the plurality of compression stages, cause the pump to discharge the second component from the liquid discharge line.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Henson Phoebe
• Yates Stephen
• Claeys Henry
• Loeffelholz David

Classifications

• B01D53/26

  Drying gases or vapours · CPC title

• B01D2256/22

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• C07C1/12

  from carbon dioxide with hydrogen · CPC title

• B01D53/265 Primary

  by refrigeration (condensation) · CPC title

• B01D53/002 Primary

  by condensation · CPC title